SEMO Small Business Development Center's business boot camp returns in 2025 to empower entrepreneurs

Southeast Missouri State University’s Small Business Development Center is scheduled to launch its Early-Stage Business Boot Camp in early January, with a second program available in February.

The boot camp consists of eight sessions designed to provide entrepreneurs with the skills necessary to develop a viable business model. Participants will engage in hands-on workshops and group exercises, and have “access to expert advice”.

“We’re excited to host the next two early-stage business boot camp classes in 2025,” Jakob Pallesen, director of the SBDC, said in a news release. “We had great success with entrepreneurs joining the first two rounds in the fall of 2024, and we can’t wait to engage more startups with this program in 2025.”

The program, developed by the Missouri SBDC at Missouri State University, is powered by Innovate SOMO and led by Codefi and efactory.

The first boot camp will begin Tuesday, Jan. 7, and continue through Tuesday, Feb. 25, meeting every Tuesday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Catalyst Center for Business, 508 N. Main St., in Perryville. The second camp will meet every Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. from Feb. 4 through March 25 at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, 220 N. Fountain St., in Cape Girardeau.

The free program requires pre-registration, and limited space is available. Interested participants may register for both events online at https://missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events. For more information, contact Pallesen at jpallesen@semo.edu or (573) 651-5156.